97938: Is it permissible for a woman to remove the pubic hair of another woman?

Is it permissible for a very close friend of mine to remove pubic hair for me? I am very afraid and I am having problems because of this hair. If my friend removes it for me there will be a pact between us that she will never speak of anything that she sees, and I need to remove it, but I feel too shy to ask my mother to remove it for me?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Shaving the pubic hair is
one of the sunnahs of the fitrah, and Islam has stipulated that it should
not be left without shaving for more than forty days. The basic principle is
that every accountable person should shave his pubic hair himself, unless he
is unable to do that because he is too old or is sick.

What the sister who is
asking this question wants to do is a haraam action, and is an evil deed
that it is not permissible for any Muslim woman to do except in cases of
necessity. The fact that she is afraid to remove the hair is no excuse. This
is not something that requires bravery and courage. There are many ways of
removing it, some of which are easy.

It does not make it
permissible if her friend swears an oath not to tell anyone of what she
sees. If it is permissible to do this because of necessity, her mother is a
better person to shave her pubic hairs.

The saheeh texts state that
it is haraam for a man to look at the ‘awrah of another man, or for a woman
to look at the ‘awrah of another woman, and the scholars are unanimously
agreed on this prohibition.

It was narrated that Abu
Sa’eed al-Khudri said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “No man should look at the ‘awrah of another man,
and no woman should look at the ‘awrah of another woman.”

Narrated by Muslim (338).

Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah
have mercy on him) said: As for a man with another man, each of them may
look at that of his companion which is not ‘awrah. And the ruling on a woman
with a woman is the same as the ruling on a man with a man.

Al-Mughni
(7/80).

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn
Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

This is covering of women
before men, and covering of men before men and women before women with
regard to the ‘awrah, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: “No man should look at the ‘awrah of another man, and no
woman should look at the ‘awrah of another woman, and he said: “Guard your
‘awrah from everyone but your wife and that which your right hand possesses
(i.e., slave woman).” I said: What if the people are living with one
another? He said: “If you can prevent anyone seeing it, then do not let him
see it.” I said: What if I am alone? He said: “Allaah is more deserving that
you should feel shy before Him.” And he forbade a man to lie with a man
under one cover, or a woman to lie with a woman under one cover. And he said
concerning children: “Teach them to pray when they are seven and smack them
if they do not pray when they are ten, and separate them in their beds.” He
forbade looking at or touching the ‘awrah of a person of the same gender,
because that is abhorrent and immoral. As for men with women, this is
because of the issue of sexual desire.

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa
(22/113).

Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have
mercy on him) said:

… This is something
concerning which there is no difference of opinion. It is haraam for a man
to look at a woman’s ‘awrah and for a woman to look at a man’s ‘awrah,
according to scholarly consensus. An exception is made for the married
couple, who may look at one another’s ‘awrahs.

Fath al-Baari
(9/338, 339).

Conclusion:

It is not permissible for
you to ask your friend to shave your pubic hair for you, or to let her do
that. If you do that, you will both be committing a major sin, and you will
not be excused for that, because it is easy to find other ways of removing
this hair, such as using the well known depilatories, if you cannot use a
razor.

This is permissible in
cases of necessity when one is unable to move, or if one is sick or insane
and other cases where a man or woman is unable to shave the pubic hair.